Let´s go the University Laboratory: a successful collaborative experience

Paper submitted to ICERI2013, the 6th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, Seville (Spain), November 18-20, 2013.

In order to encourage high school students to be interested in Physics and Optics, the Technological and Educational Innovation group “Teaching in Optics and Vision Sciences” (DOCIVIS) has been working closely with numerous secondary schools within the territory covered by the University of Alicante (UA) for four years. The collaboration is framed within the UA’s Research Networks, that are directed to preparation sections to entrance University. The main objective is to promote the coordination and teamwork between teachers from different areas and/or educational levels. Main initiatives are the research on the design and planning of the teaching-learning proposals, the improvement of the adaptation of students to the University and a better conceptualization, understanding and characterization of the degrees. Therefore, along last four years, we have received in our labs to 625 high school students and also, in the latest edition, students from 4th year of compulsory secondary education (ESO). Students have become the true protagonists of the learning process. It has gone from receiving in our facilities students from just 3 centres in the first year, to 14 centres in this one, so we think it is time to gather and reflect on all the work done

This work was partially funded by the project "GITE-09003-UA-DOCIVIS." University of Alicante